Vehicle wheel



May 26, 1925.

c. s. JOHNSTON VEHICLE WHEEL Filed Augt 25. 1919 2 Sheets-Sheet l May 26, 1925.

C. S. JOHNSTON VEHICLE WHEEL Filed Aug. 25.1919 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented May 26, 1925.

CLARENCE s. JOHNSTON,

E GLENDIVE, Moivfiiiivii.l

VEHICLE WHEEL.'

Application led August 25, 1919. SeralfNo. 319,775.

s'roN, citizen of the United States, resident of Glendive, Dawson County, Montana, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Vehicle Wheels, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to improvements in vehicle wheels of the type employing what are generally known as demountable rims.

It provides a novel and improved construction in which the rim may be easily mounted on the wheel body and held in secure position thereon during use, and may be released and easily demounted wit-hout disturbing the tire, usually pneumatic, which is secured to the rim.

In vehicle wheels-of this type it is old to provide demountable rims which aremovable with relation to the wheel body and are thereby moved into and out of locking engagement with the wheel through interen- `raging means on the rim and wheel body. Such function has been achieved by means of projections on one member and a recess in the other member, the recess being inclined radially so that, when the rim is moved circumferentially of the wheel body, there is a resultant radial motion of the rim as the projection rides up the inclined surface which motion functions to retain the rim in frictional locking engagement on the wheel body.

This improved structure provides a transversely locking engagement of the rim andV also a combination of the transverse and radial locking engagements. VItalso provides an improved mechanism for moving the rim with relation to the wheel body by which movement the locking functions are effected. y

An object vof the invention, therefore, is to provide an improved demountable rim and vehicle wheel.

Another object is to provide an improved means for locking or securing the rim to the wheel body.

Another object is to provide an improved means for causing relative movement between the rim and wheel body.

Other objects of the invention will more fully appear from the following description 1 and the accompanying drawings and Vwill be pointed out in the annexed claims.

In the accompanying drawings, there has beendisclosed a structure designed tocarry out Vthe objects of the invention, but it is to be understood that the invention is not confined to the exact features shown, as various changes may be made within the scope of the claims which follow. y 1

In the drawings: f lFigurel isa view in elevationl of a wheel havingthe novel demountable rim .secured` thereto; .f f

Figure 2 is a detail of the felly lockingv mechanism; g y l Figure Y3 is a section on the line 3-3 of v Figure 2 g l Figure 4: is a sectionalvview ofthe device 70. for moving the rim relatively to the wheell body; y

Figure 5 Figure 4; y Y y Figure is asection on the line 6-6 of75 Figuret; Y

Figure 7 is a section onfthe line 7,- 7 of Figure 5; 'l f Figure 8v is a sectionalview of a different form of the interengaging means provided` I on the rim and wheel body;

Figure' 9 is a 'planview o-f the felly lug shown in Figure 8;

Figure l0 is a plan view of the form of rim lug shown inFigure 8; i

vFigure l1 isa section on the'line 11-11 of Figure 9. Y c, j

In the selected embodiment of this invention, a vehicle wheel l is providediwith a (lemountable rim 2 circumscribing the wheel- 90 body. Means are provided on the wheel is a section on the line-'offr `body and on the rim which coact radially i wheel; the radial movement of the rim, i. e.

vrl

when any pointv on the rim is moved toV a greater or less radial distance from the hub or center of the wheel; and the transverse movement of the rim, iQ e. when the rim is moved in either-'direction of the axis of the hub of thewheel. f Y

In the selected embodiment of this inven tion the rim and Wlieelvbodyare.proyidefl` with interengaging lugs which project from the respective peripheries of these two mem;- bers. The lugs on one member are preferably concaved to receive-a complementary convexedsurface provided by the lug on the other member; and, whilethe 'disposition of the lugs'may be reversed it is deemedhpref-vIV erable to provide theV concaved lugs 3 on the rim 24 vs'fhi'le-Qthe2 convexed lugs lv are Aprovided on-the Wheel body 1@ The lugs on each member are=preferably arranged in pairs although jin the preferred form here disclosedy they3 aresingly employedfbut -withthe co'- operation of another elementwhich assumes the function of the complementary lug;

As shown in Figures 6V and A"a-the complementary pairs'ofrim` lugs v3 are substantiallfyoblong sin shape Aand are longi-v tudinally 'grooved to provide a concave sur-f face-g 5. "iTheiy are y'preferallily formed `integral with the rim as shown, andY project inwardly# The heightof the individual rim lug above the rim periphery is less at the endat which itengagesrvthey wheel lu'g than it :is at the'oppositeend,l thus makingthe working surface of each rim lug longitudi-f nally'4 inclined.L4 In other' words, the working Y surface of each rim ylug is substantiallyslightlyrtangential to the f rim: periphery.

Eachwheel lug iY is preferably integrally f formed with thellwhee'l bodywith its con-V vexed WorkingA surface similarlyinclined` to theiwheel body lperi phery,y Hence,as the rim-is movedv relative yjto the wheel, the

reversedlyY tangential `surfaces ofthe op-V posed' pairs of interengaging rim and wheel lugs coact radially to f orce therimradiall As the rim issusceptible ofonly a relative y slight radial expansion', this movement funcf Vtionsto hold the=ri1n0n the wheel bodyV in locked frictional engagement.

In this selec'ted embodiment,these opposed pairs `of'A loc-kinglugsY also coact' trans-- versely. =To thisend,eachfrim lug is pro-'vvided fon its outervside with 'a wall 7 pro-4 I jecting beyondfftlhe-A lug groove The inside,

or working, faces 8 ofthe-walls of each pair of Vcolnplementaryv rim lugs are inclined to the planeeof `therimf-andlare convergent. These convergent faces are adapted.' to en` gage-thev -outsidefaces V9 of their opposed wheelglugs so thatyl-as the .rim lugs .moveV4 overf'the convexed lugs, theseerim and wheel 'lug facescoaet.i transversely to secureV a transversely 'Wedging lor frictional locking` engagementzof therim `and wheel. @In order! that greater-area of engagement may be attained between the outside faces 9 of each projecting wheel lug and the inside wall face 8 of its opposed rim lug, the outside face 9 of each Wheel lug is inclined to the planeada/he wheel: Jllhemitsidw @cee 9 of a complementary pair of'wheel lugs aredi-v -vergentl-y inclined. They are, therefore, reversed\lyf inclined Lfivlitla[relation to the inclination of the inside faces 8 of their opa.po'sedfurimillugs.v Therefore, as is likewise the case with theopposedly lcoacting tangential-1 surfa'ceswofftheea lugs, engagement of substantially the Whole of the opposed faces is attained beforethe radial*v or" trans-'1e 80* verse coaction takes p'laceil AThisrisv prefer# able to attainingthisvcoaction throughqthe'f engagement of relativelysmallnterengag-l '-shoul-ders or anges on the rim andrbodyi i which .elementsfassumethe lfunotionof the l respectivecomplementary lugswl- 4 In 'this' form, each lugl 10 ofv the wheelfl body'` series 'is-'disclosed as havingr4 a plane, 100 inclined or substantially slightlyf tangential, 1 workingifacefll engageable by; a similar but'A i reversedly `inclined face-of the opposed rim Ilug 12. -Thdceaction of theseinterengage: ably {v'vorkingV surfaces of the "riml and wheel 105 lugs provides thel radial'lockingffunetiom` These series'of' opposed lugsy are on onek pe ripheralfside of thewheellbodyi- The rim, liowe'veryin both forms, is provided-with an outwardly flaring annular flange oneach.- 110 transverse side.V --An .-'oi1twardly"*annularflange 14 is formed on the other -siderof, the

periphery of the'wheel body from the'series' of body lugs. `Whentherim` is mounted on the wheelandffmoved vrelatively thereto, thc 1-15 -rim llange11-1=3 annularl/y-engagesithe'fbody yflange-14, andthe opposed:lagsradially'co act to lock the rim in position I lVh-ile athe 1,lugs .of ythis single .-'alnmlarlv series may only have the substantially lain. 420 gentially finclined contacting surfaces, they Vare preferablyfalso.providedwwith the-.in-fVV "clined surfaces which cooperatively-function ,l Y

transversely f V This preferred form of bodyllug 111 is 125 formed on its outer side'with a longitudi- .nally `projecting walln15 which. provides an inside, or lworkingwfacef.-16 inclined to the:

`plane of the Wheedfbo'dyw*The'outside face;VKV

of theopposed rimlug 12`is=similarlybutre1 130 versedly 'inclined so that,'as these rim lugs move over these wheel lugs, the opposed lugs transversely coact. their theV rim. 1s

mounted and moved with relation' to the' wheel body, the rim is transversely moved and the rim flange may ride slightly up and outwardly on the wheel flange until rim and wheel are held in locked engagement. And, similarly, when the rim is reversedly moved with relation to the wheel body, the rim is transversely moved toward the lug side ot the wheel body when it may be easily and quickly demounted.

There is also provided in the improved structure, a novel mechanism tor causing relative movement between the rim and the wheel body. This mechanism is carrie-d by the wheel body, preferably by a telly ot a novel type, which altords an enclosure to cover and thus to protect the yparts ot the mechanism in their otherwise exposed position. Being adjacent the wheel periphery. there is exposure to water, mud, stones and similar objects when the wheel is in use.

In this selected torm, a hollow metallic telly is used. This is preferably a` threesided or channel telly. This telly has a base 17 which is outwardly presented and which receives the spokes 18. It has two radially projecting sides 19 and 20. Suitable transverse supports 21 are secured to the sides ot the telly and these supports provide bearings tor the screw 22 rotatably mounted within the telly at each end in one ot said supports. This screw bears a rimengaging element thereon which is shown as a block .23 apertured to receive the screw 2Q in threaded engagement. Upon rotation ot the screw in its relatively fixed bearings 2l, the block. unable to rotate therewith, must travel longitudinally ot the screw in either direction depending upon the clockwise or counter-clockwise rotation ot the screws. The lower portion ot this block preterably is reduced and is adapted to be positioned between, and singly to engage, the two plates 24: and 25 secured in spaced relation to the inner annular tace ot the rim. Movement ot the block 23 in either direction is thereby communicated to the rim and relative movement ot rim and wheel body attained. The screw 22 is actuable by means ot a worm-wheel 26 secured to, and rotatable with. the screw. This worm-wheel in mesh with a worm 27 rotatably borne in a bearing plate 28 secured to the hub side ot the wheel telly. One end 29 ot this worm projects through the plate 28 and is angularly shaped to be readily engage-d by any suitable instrument tor rotating this worm. This rotation ot the worm in one direction causes the rim to be moved circumterentially ot the telly or wheel body so that the coacting means on the rim and body cause the rim to move, radially or radially tormationot the particular lugs employed, i j

into locked engagement with the wheel'body.

A rotation ot the worm'jin thel oppositetdirection'tunctions to release the'rm.

A novelmeansisprovided in this'novel wheel tor 'securely retaining the spokes 'ot' the wheel in position. Each spoke 18 connected to the central portion ot the wheel bears a terminally reduced portion 30. The telly base 17 is suitably apertured and each aperture is provided with an annular shoulder 31. These shoulders are preferably in'- tegral with the telly and project trom the base 17 within the telly channel. Each spoke reduced portion is received through an aperture and itted in the shouldered portion. The telly is split and each end bears an L-shaped member or bracket secured to the telly base. The projecting portion 32 ot each bracket is apertured to receive a tightening rod 33. One end ot this rod may be enlarged so that it cannot pass through one aperture or may bear a nut thereon tor the same purpose, the other end being threaded to engage a nut. The turning ot this latter nut thus tunctions to draw together the two telly ends and thus to cause the spokes to be held in tight trictional engagement with their respective aperture sides and shoulders. y

By the employment ot this embodiment ot telly not only may the spokes be tightly adjustably held, the rim moving mechanism protected, but also the lugs, or rim-engaging means, may be positioned, preterably integrally termed, on one or both peripheral taces ot the outwardly projecting channel sides.

Having thus describedmy invention what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is:

1. A wheel having in combination, a wheel body, a rim circumscribing the body, the rim and the body having means'which coact when the rim is moved relatively to the body to cause the rim to move radially and circumterentially, a screw rotatably secured in Vsaid body, a rim-engaging element mounted thereon in. threaded engagement, and means tor rotating said screw whereby the rim is moved relatively to said body.

2. A wheel having in combination, a wheel body, a rim circumscribing the body, the rim and the body having means which coact when the rim is moved relatively to the body to cause the rim to move radially and circumterentially, a screw rotatably. secured in said body, a rim-engaging element mounted thereon in threaded engagement, a wormwheel on said screw and rotatable therewith, and a worm to actuate said worm-wheel whereby the rim is moved relatively to said body.

3. A wheel having in combination, a centra-1nv portion, a channeled .llyyhavin iisf- .side which coatfwhen the rim i `moved revl- A Y baser toward, Vthe.,centraal.,porgiqfnn its kaftiverly'co the jelly to cause 111e, v rim to be sides project'ingg ,youtwardly@,thereflom,` to 'said.,fel1y.fY r" *Y 10 means Withnksaid ,channel t0" imoveirhe. In witnesswheleof;'lhavehereuntosetmy( 

